Signpost



1. 1. MOORE. `SIGNPOST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l0, 1920.

1,391,001,v Patenasepn 20, 1921.

ATTO R N EY PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JOSEPH MOORE, 0F SOUTH CHARLESTON, OHIO. i

SIGNPOST.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be t'known that I, JOHN J. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Charleston, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Signpost, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention relates to sign posts.

An object is to provide a sign post composed entirely of metal and having a separate base portion which is adapted to be driven into the ground as a unit and into which may be inserted the post proper to be permanently connected thereto in such manner as to prevent its accidental dislodgment, but which by the proper application of a specially constructed key, may be readily detached therefrom for use elsewhere, or for the application of another sign. y

Another object is to `provide means to be used in conjunction with the base portion or member thereof to prevent battering or marring the same when driving .it into the ground. A further object is to provide a strong and durable detachable lpost of this character which Vwill withstand hard usage, and which is so constructed as to exclude the entrance Ofwater through the joints necessarily present in such devices.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a considera- -tion' of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying vdrawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, thatthe invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing ofthe drawing but may be changed and modified, so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient Vfeatures -Of the invention as expressed inthe appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several gures Figure l is a side elevation of a sign post constructed in accordance with the invention and shown partly broken away;

Fig@ isy an enlarged vertical sectional view. illustrating the interlocking engagement between the post proper and the base member, the latter being shown partly in section on the line f elevation;

Fig. 3 lis a horizontal .2',3 of Flg- 2;

Specification of Letters Patent.

vthe open normal tendency of this tongue 8 is to standV conjunction with the Patented sept. 2o, 192i.

Application led April 10, 1920. Serial No. 372,841.

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of ig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the post and the base member taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and drawn on the same scale;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation partly in sectionl of the driving cap used to drive the base member into the ground;

j Fig. 7 is a side view of the key used to detach the post from the base member;

lFig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the plate used as a closure to render the key hole water tight. j

Referring to drawing, there is shown a tubular sign post proper l, which may be of any desired diameter and length, and which may be formed of ordinary tubing found on the market.. At the top this tube or post maybe provided with any well-known form of sign, which may be attached thereto in any desired manner. The lower portion of the tube is reduced, as at 2, the metal forming the walls thereofl being somewhat thinner and having an undercut shoulder 3.

At diametrically opposite points the reduced walls of the post are provided with longitudinally extending slots 4, each havingV a flared mouth or entrance opening, at 5, coincident with the lower edge of the tube and for a purpose to bel explained.V At the upper or closed ends, each'slot 4l is provided with a right-angularly disposed or horizontal branch 6, terminating in a seat 7 extending upwardly therefrom and in the saine direction as the main slot 4 or longitudinally of the post l, thus forming a pair trance slot 4 and the horizontally disposed '4 branch slotl 6, a longitudinally. disposed spring tongue 8 is formedv of the metal of the reduced tubing by providing a slit 9 in spaced relation to the said slot 4 and parallel thereto, the lower or closed` end of the slit 9 being located substantially mid-way between flared end 5 and the branch 6.r The vertically, but it may, by pressure, be flexed inwardly toward the centerof the said post.

A base'member 10V is provided for use in post 1, and is adapted to be ydriven into the ,ground a sufficient dis,

tance to withstand any strain to which the post may be subjected, the lower portion of the same being preferably of solid metal as indicated at 11, and being preferably triangular in cross section, so as to prevent the turning of the same after being driven into the ground..

The upper tubular portion or socket 12 of the base member has an internal diameter to snugly fit the reduced lower end portion 2 of the post 1, and is of a depth substantially equal to the length thereof. The tubular portion 12 is provided at its upper open end vwith an integral annular collar 13 extending outwardly and having its upper face inclined in conformity with the under face of the shoulder 3 which, when the post 1 is fully introduced into the base member 10, will effectually prevent the entrance of water into the joint. The lower face of the collar is substantially horizontal and provides means by which the base member may be removed from the ground, when desired.

The tubular portion 12 of the base member is provided on its inner wall, at diametrically opposite points, with inwardly-directed lugs 14 located below the upper inl clined face of the annular collar 13 a distance equal to the distance between the seats 7 and the undercut shoulder 3 of the post member. These lugs 14 each have one face beveled so that, when the post is introduced into the tubular upper end of the base member, the lugs will freely enter the flared entrance openings 5 of the longitudinal slots 4 and, upon reaching the upper ends of the said slots may, by turning the post, be forced past the upstanding tongues 8 by bending the same inwardly toward the center'of the post, and may then move into the branch slots 6 to a position to be then movedlongitudinally into the seats 7, at which vtime the upper beveled end of the base member is snugly seated beneath the beveled lower face of the shoulder 3. It will be seen that the straight radially disposed faces of the'inwardly-directed lugs 14 carried by the base member will eifectually prevent the removal of the post therefrom, by reason of the fact that the same will come into abutting contact with the tongues 8 when an effort is made to turn the post within the base member.

In order to permit the post to be removed from its engagement with the base member,

' when desired, as for changing signs, the

tubular upper portion of the base member is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed key holes 15 located directly below the inwardly-directed lugs 14, and in a position opposite the free liexible ends of the spring tongues 8, and a pair of keys 16 (Fig. 7), are introduced through the key holes 15 until the end of the key strikes the wall of the post. Then by turning each key the pointed and beveled lug 17 thereof will wedge in between the inner wall of the base member and the outer face of the spring tongue, which may be slightly beveled to facilitate such wedging section, and the latter will be forced inwardly and out of the path of movement of the lugs 14 when the post is rotated in the proper direction, whereupon the latter may then be readily removed.

TWhen the parts have been locked together and the key removed, the said key holes 15 may each be closed by a removable closure plate 18, which is arcuately curved in conformity with the 'outer surface/of the tubular upper portion of the base member,` and which is adapted to be slid into a properly grooved marginal bead 19 surrounding three sides of the closure plate.

The annular collars 13 have their lower faces arranged at right angles to the outer face of the base member and are adapted to provide a'shoulder or abutment for a chain or cable to be placed in surrounding relation to the base member, after the post has been removed, when'it is desired to'pull the base member from the ground.

In order to protect the upper. knife edge of the tubular socket portion of the base member, when driving the same into the ground, la driving cap-plate 2O is provided, composed preferably of solid metal and having a reduced extension 21 of a diameter to fit withinthe upper end of thebase member, and an undercut shoulder 22 corresponding to the upper beveled face of the annular collar 13 and adapted to fit over the collar to protect its edge when the upper face of the cap-plate 2O is hammered.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a strong and durable interchangeable sign post has been provided, which may be readily manufactured from ordinary stock material and -at a low cost, that the same is remove the'lsame whenV desired. It is also clear that the device may be found useful for other purposes; for example, it could be employedvas a fence post;

lVhat' is claimed is:

1. A sign post comprising a base member adapted to be driven into the ground and having a socket in its upper end, a pair of inwardly-directed beveled lugs provided within the socket at diametrically opposite points, and a detachable tubular post having its lower end to it within the socket, said tubular post being provided with oppositely disposed bayonet slots adapted to receive the lugs of the base member, said slots having angular branches'communicating with seats, and spring tongues formed integrally with the tubular post and extending partly across the angular branches of the bayonet slots and adapted to be pressed inwardly by the beveled faces of the said lugs to permit the same to reach the said seats upon turning adapted to be driven into the ground and the post within the base, said tongues prehaving a socket in its upper end and an Inventing the post from being turned in the tegral collar extending out from the upper A opposite direction. end of the socket, said collar having its up- 2. A sign post comprising a base member per face inclined and its lower face substan- 4 adapted to be driven into the ground and tially horizontal, a tubular post having its having a socket in its upper end, a pair of lower end reduced to it within the socket of '35 inwardly directed beveled lugs provided the base member, and having a shoulder at within the socket at diametrically opposite the upper part of said reduced portion, said points, the walls of said socket having a key shoulder being undercut to engage with the hole beneath each lug, and a detachable tuupper face of said collar, and means within bular post having a reduced lower end to it the socket and reduced portion for detachn 40 within the socket and an overhanging shoulably connecting the post to the base member. der to bear upon the upper end of the base 4. In a sign post the combination with a member, said tubular post being provided base member adapted to be driven into the with oppositely disposed bayonet slots ground and having a socket in its upper end, adapted to receive the lugs of the base mema keyhole in said socket, a detachable tuber, said slots having angular branches com* bular post having its lower end fitted in municating with seats, and spring tongues said socket, interlocking means carried by formed integrally with the tubular post and the base member and post and concealed and extending partly across the angular branches inclosed within said socket and the lower end of the bayonet slots and adapted to be of said post, said means serving to lock the pressed inwardly by the beveled faces of the post to said base member, and means wheresaid lugs to permit the same to reach the by said interlocking meansv may be released said seats upon turning the post within the by a key inserted in the key hole.

base, said tongues preventing the post from In testimony that I claim the foregoing as being turned in the opposite direction. my own I have hereto ailixed m signature.

3. A sign post comprising a base member JOHN JOSEPH GORE. 

